Consumer spending fell for the first time in more than four decades in 2017-18.
Consumer spending had last declined during extraordinary events in India's history.
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What is more worrying is a decline in food expenditure seen in villages & a flat growth in cities.
People drastically reduced spending on essential food items like salt, sugar, spices, edible oil, etc.
According to experts:
*Rising poverty
*Growing malnutrition
It also corroborates a shortage of demand in the economy, driven by the rural market.
The survey was conducted between July 2019 and June 2018.
All figures are in real terms (as in inflation-adjusted).